Sachusetts



1 io n W H w. a 21/ m R 3 J. w. SHEPERDSON METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND CONDITIONING 0F SKELP Orig nal Filed Aug. 22, 1927 MarchBl, 1931.

J. w. SHEPERDSON' METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND CONDITIONING OF SKELP 3. Sheets-Sheet March 31, Original Filed Aug. 22, 1927 Re.

J. w. SHEPERDSON METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND CONDITIONING OF SKELP 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 (lriglnal Flled Aug- 22, 1927 March 31, 1931.-

- ing mill to the cooling Reissued Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN W. SHEIPERDSON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MORGAN CON- STRUCTION COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAS- SACHUSETTS METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND CONDITIONING OFSKELI Original No. 1,782,700, dated November 25, 1930, Serial No. 214,703, filed August 22, 1927. Application for reissue filed January 28, 1931.

The present invention relates to the preparation of the metal stock, known as skelp, which is used in the manufacture of pipes, such stock, as is well known, being rolled in fiat, elongated strip or bar form, and being novel method or continuously securing such pointing, cupping and bending on successive ongitudinally-moving pieces of skelp bar,

passage from the rolled, or other receiving device, on which they are assembled, preparafor example, in their tory to manufacture into pipe. The invention also resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of apparatus by which the above results are obtained. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description thereof, reference being had in this connection to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view, showing a portion of the apparatus employed in the invention.

Fig. 1a is a similar plan view of the re mainder of the apparatus, being a continuation from the left hand end of Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a combined underneath, side, and end view of the front end of the stock, as delivered to the apparatus of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the stock, as acted upon by a portion of the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the stock in the form that it is delivered to the cooling bed, or other receiving device. I

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of certam cutter discs employed in the apparatus of Fig. 1. F Fig. 6 is an end view of the rolls shown in ig. 5. v

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of certain rolls employed in Fig, 1a.

Figs. 8 and 8a are enlarged fragmentary Serial No. 51 1,886.

views showing the relative elevations of the two sets of cutter rolls shown in Fig. 1. v

Like reference characters refer tolike parts in the different figures.

In the art as now practiced, the pointing, cupping and bending of skelp bar involves considerable hand labor and is a slow and tedious process. The skelp bar, upon delivery from the rolling mill, is cut to the desired lengths by the usual sheer, and then this partiallyfinishedproductisassembledonacooling bed or the like,being piled up flatwise, in packs or stacks, for cooling. After cooling,

each piece has to be individually presented to 1 v a special shearing and pressing device, which cuts off the corners of each front end, thereby to point the piece, and simultaneously cups and bends said end to the desired form. All this preparation involves considerable hand labor and interposes a proportionately long delay before the stock can be reheated for presentation to the usual pipe forming instrumentalities.

According to the present invention, all the preparatory operations of pointing, cupping and bending the skelp bars are performed prior to the above-described assembly of the bars, and preferably as continuations of the rolling process, the apparatus being so arranged that each successive piece out off by the usual shear may be subjected, on its way to the cooling bed, to the necessary pointing, cupping and bending as an incident of its forward movement, with the result that the packs or piles of bars formed on said bed, instead of being composed of pieces that must be subsequently pointed, cupped and bent, are composed of pieces that are already pointed, cupped and bent, and ready to be made into pipe. The method which secures this result and an arrangement of apparatus adapted to carry out said method will now be described in detail.

Referring to' Fig. 1, the numeral 1 represents diagrammatically theusual shear for cutting into the desired lengths the finished stock as it emerges from the final reducing rolls, not shown, of a skelp bar mill. One or more high speed conveyor rolls 2 of ordinary nstruction are placed yond the shear 1, 11?

- thebiteofa and serve in the manner well-known to project the successively cut-01f pieces, in adequately spaced relation, onto means which are interposed between the conveyor rolls 2 and a bed 3, Fight; said interposed meansact on each piece so forwarded, in such a manner as to point, cup and bend its front end before the coolingbed is reached, so that the ske which is received. on said cooling bed use no further preparation.

Said interposed means are here shown as comprising, .firstly, a series of rotating subsequent series of skewed rolls, as hereinafter described.

As'carried forward by the rolls 4, 4, in edgewin contact with the side guide 5, each iece of skelp bar has its frontend introduce into '1' of rotating cutter dies 8, 9, the latter being of the special construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and overhanging the side guide 5, asshown in Fig. I, with their axes diagonal to saidside guide. These cutterdiscs 8 and 9 are rotated in unison but in 'to directions at high speed, by any suitabe means, their shafts being geared toher, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower cutter isc 8 provides a cutting or shearing flange 10 for cooperation with a cutting edge 11 of per cutter disc 9, the latter, beyond said gall, having a concave: extension 12 in matching relation to a convex extension 13 beyond the flange 10 of cutter disc 8. As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the axis of the lower cutter disc 8 is advanced with respect to the axis of the upper roll 9, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The action of the skewed cutter discs 8 and I 9 on the front end of each piece is to cause a combined forward and sidewise movement of said end my from'said guide 5, simultaneously with the severance effected bv the coop.-

eratingedges 10 and 11, the result being that onefrent corner of the piece as shown in Fig.

' 3 isleli-pped'ofi, by a cut extending diagonaliy from the front edge to the side edge of the piece. to produce the result-shown at 14 in 'g, 3; at the same time, this diagonal edge 14 is cupped downwardly, as shown at115,

by the cooperating -extensions 12 and 13 of the rolls. Jind furthermore,'this pointing and allows the of said rolls 8 and 9to be above thgplane of travel of the stock on rolls 4,4.

e action of skewed cutter discs 8' and 9,

efiecting sidewise movement of each iece toward the side guide 6, is continued y a series of skewed conveyor rolls 16, 16, so positioned as to act on each piece as it is delivered from the rotary cutting discs 8 and 9. These rolls 16, 16, have their axes oppositely skewed to the axes of said rolls 4, 4,

and in consequence each piece is bodily transferred into edgewise contact with the side guide 6. These rolls 16, 16 project the front end of the piece into the bite of another set or pair of pointing, cupping, and bending cutter discs, designated 8, 9', which are of the same construction and arrangement as the cutter discs 8 and 9, but which overlie the side guide 6, and are skewed oppositely to the cutter discs 8 and 9. Said discs 8' and 9 are at a slightly higher elevation than the preceding cutter discs 8 and 9, as shown in Figs. 8 and 8a, to aline the bite of said rolls 8 and 9' with the previously bent-up front end of the piece.

As before, the action of these cutter discs 8' and 9- is to clip off a corner of said front end, this time the corner opposite to the one previously clipped off, so as to produue a diagonal edge 18, which is simultaneously curled downwardly, as shown at 19, Fig. 4. This operation completes the pointing, cupping and bending of the piece as an incident of its continuous forward movement from the shear 1 to the cooling bed 3', said piece, in the condition shown in Fig. 4, now passing ontoconveyor rolls 21, Fig. 1a, which secure its continued forward movement. The stock, now in condition for piling or packing on the cooling bed 3, must have its speed very appreciably reduced from the high speed prevailing in the pointing and cupping or curling operation; it is now proposed, as an in cident to its speed reduction, to shingle the successive pieces as they are forwarded longitudinally to the cooling bed. Ordinary horizontal pinch rolls to efl'ect this shingling and speed reduction would operate to flatten out the cupped and bent front ends of the skelp bars, and therefore vertical rolls, 22, 22, for

this purpose are employed, said rolls being. grooved, as shown at 23, 23, Fig. 7 with the peripheral portions of said grooves spaced apart by'the width of eachbar behind'its pointed front end. The bottom of'each groove forms a-vertical rotating plane by which the outer edge of the stock is carried forward, without efiecting any sidewise or vertical restraint to disturb the cupped or arced point of the piece. .By driving the rolls 22, 22 at a suitable speed from any suitable driving means, not shown, each piece of stock will be delivered onto the slower conveyor rolls 24, 24 just ahead, with itsfirst end lappedover the last'end of the previously delivered piece, in shingled relation.

' Beyond" the slow conveyor rolls'24, 24 are disposed another set of vertical grooved rolls 25, 25, preferably of the same construction and arrangement as the rolls 22, and operating to project each piece onto the cooling bed 3, where its front end brings up against a suitable stop. These rolls 25, 25 pile the bars flatwise on the cooling bed in pack formation, and upon-the completion of such a pack, containing the desired number of bars, the same is adapted to be moved broadside on the cooling bed by any well known means not shown. This completes the preparation of the skelp bars for the pipe making process,-the operation being a continuous and uninterrupted one, as to each bar, from the time it leavesthe finishing rolls of the mill.

I claim:

1. In the'manufacture of skelp, the improvement which consists in continuing the forward longitudinal movement of successively cut-ofi' pieces of the'rolled product of a skelp bar mill, and during such forward longitudinal movement subjecting the front end of each piece to pointing, cupping and bending operations, in the travel thereof from said mill to a cooling bed or other receiving device.

2. In the manufacture of skelp, the improvement which consists in imparting longitudinal movement to successively cut-ofi' pieces of the rolled product of a skelp barmill, and during said movement cutting elf first one corner and then the other corner of the front end of each piece.

3. In the manufacture of skelp, the improvement which consists in imparting longitudinal movement to successively cut-01f pieces of the rolled product of a skelp bar mill, and during such movement subjecting the first end of each piece to the action successively of oppositely skewed cutting rollers.

4. In the manufacture of skelp, the improvement which consists in initially forwarding each piece of the rolled material, while maintaining one longitudinal edge thereof in contact with a side-guide, then severing it obliquely between the front edge and said longitudinal edge while. shifting it broadside into longitudinal edgewise contact with an opposite side guide. and finallysevering it obliquely between the front edge and its other longitudinal edge.

5. In the manufacture of skelp, the improvement which consists in subjecting first one front corner and then the opposite front corner of successively cut-oflt' pieces of the rolled product of a skelp bar mill to oblique severance and simultaneous cupping, in the continuous longitudinal travel thereof from a rolling mill to a cooling bed.

6. In the manufacture of skelp, the improvement which consists in first subjecting to pointing, cupping and bending operations, the front ends of successively cut-off pieces of the rolled stock in the continuous longitudinal movement of said pieces between the out ting-oftmechanism and a coolingb'edfthen shingling the pieces so operated upon during said longitudinal movement, and finally assembling them by said movement in packs or piles on said cooling bed. I

7. In apparatus of the class described, means for initially procuring longitudinal movement of successive pieces of skelp bar in a predetermined path, apair of rotating cutter discs in said path having their axes skewed with reference thereto, thereby to sever obliquely one front corner of each piece and simultaneously to shift each piece broadside, means for continuing the longitudinal movement of each piece in a predetermined path offset from said first-mentioned path, and a second pair of rotatingcutter discs in said second path having their axes skewed with reference thereto, thereby to sever obliquely the other front corner of each piece.

8. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with means for continuously forwarding successive pieces cut off; from the rolled product of a skelp bar mill,of a pair of devices encountered successively by each piece in its forward movement, each said device operating to sever one front ,corner of said piece and to cup the severed edge,and said two devicescooperating to bend" the front end so pointed and cupped.

9. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with means for continuing the forward longitudinal movement of succes sively cut-ofl' pieces of the rolled product of a skelp bar mill, of a cutting device on each side of the path of said pieces and obliquely disposed thereto, said cutting devices being successively encountered by the opposite front corners of each piece, as the latter'moves forward for the pointing of said piece by the severance of said corners.

10. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with means for continuing the forward longitudinal movement of successively cut-off pieces of the rolled-product of a skelp bar mill, of a set of skewed cutting rollers on either side of the path of said pieces, for operation successively on thezopposite front'corners of each piece, to remove said corners and thereby point the *front end of the piece.

, 11. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with means for'continuing the forward longitudinal, movement of successively cut-off pieces of therolled product of a skelp. bar mill, of a set of skewed cutting rollers on either side'of. the path of said pieces, for operation successively on the opposite front corners of each piece, to remove said corners and thereby point the front end of the piece, said cutting'rollers having 7 cooperating portions, adjacent their cutting edges, for imparting a downward cup to the material along each edge so severed.

12. In apparatus of the class described, the

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whittlewith means for the fwd lon' movement of succesawelg'. h i of the coiled product of 819E011! ban mill, of a set of skewed cutting rollers on either side of the. th of said places, for operation succe y on the. op- M front corners of, each piece, to remove said comers and thereby point the front end of each piece, each set of cutting rollers f o; its plane of severance above the nor- Inabone: of travel of the piece, thereby to an upward bend to the front end of ned-pleoetorthel'ength ofthe'aervened edges 1a lilusoithe class described, the

ombination with means for continuing the lolgitudinel movement of successtvely cut-oil pianos-of the relied product of a; skelp bar, mail, of means encountered suca byeach piece in its said forward novmmt tupointing, cupping, and bendthe trout end of said piece, means for M "1 thmpieees'so pointed, cupped and bent by the mnt'muance of said longitudinal me means responsive to such inbznd tu-mich s assent suirl Indonesia-packs orpiles one 0001' 1 I411!!- apparams (PE the elm described, the

g combination with a at of skewed conveyor rolls: for continuing the forward movement '01 w =5: 'eut-ofl pieces of the rolled p'l odli ct of a skel bar mill, a side guide tgfim'whi'ch one ngitudinvl edge of each piece is maintained, by the action of said skewed rollers, 1 cutting device overhanging mid side guide and dis osed obliquely thereto, fior'thoniverance o a hunt corner from eachpiece second set of slmwed conveyor mllmdor continuing the forwin'd movement of each piece utter: suchi severance, said secand set cfroilers bein skewed oppositely to those ofthe first set, w ereby the piece, in its continued forward moiemcnt, moves broadside across said secondset of rollers, a secondgnide minted with said second set of roller 3 "inst which tho'other longitudinal edged! piece is thus limmtained, and a: second cutting de'vicgoverhanging sziid second'lidc' guide and disposed obliquely thereto, for severing the other front cornefof'seid piece Id thcfam' isrcztrriesi forward on said second set of commyor rollers. f i

' ifivin the mnnfnctm'e and conditioning of tdmthe improvement which consists in fimtcuttingthe rolled product to the desired than subiectin the successively mic ofiof there product topointing, eupp' and bending operations, and mm shel ambling sei lit in and conditioning d Skelpfdr-nseein pipe the improve v ment which consiia in first cuttingthe rolled Q into tilted the fmnt en thereof.

nches in: paal r tormn ends, whereby the necessit for breaking up 7 the packs of bars, after coo ing, is eliminated.

17. The herein described method for the manufacture and conditioning ofskelp for use in pipe making, which consists in 'subjecting the front end of each iece of the rolled. product, as ciit off and de hvered by a shear, to pointing, cu ping and bending operations, then assemb ing said pieces in pack formation, and finally subjecting said packs of pieces to cooling. i

18. In the manufacture and conditioning of skelp, the improvement which consists in subjectmg to pointing, cu ping and bending operations, the successive y cut-ofi pieces of the rolled product of a. skelp bar mill, in the longitudinal travel of said pieces from the cut-of! means to a. cooling bed or other reoeivin device.

- 19:. n apparatus of the class described, the combination with means for assembling successively cut-ofl' pieces of skelp in pack formotion, of means operable on each piece, between the cut-of means andsaid assembling means, for ointing, cupping and bending 20. In apparatus of the class described, a cooling bed for the reception of skelp bar in packs, a. shear for cutting off successive pieces of the product of a skelp bar mill, means for assembling in peck formation a plurality of successive pieces delivered by said shear, in

1 the travel of said pieces toward said cooling bed, and means operable on said pieces, before such assemblage, and after said shearing to-Ipoint, cup: and bend their front ends. 1. n apparatus of the class described, a shear for cutting the product of a. skelp bar mill, means for asnem ling successively cutof longitudinallymoving bars in pack formation, in combination with means operable individually on each bar, during its longitudimxl movement between said shear and said assembling means, to point, cup and bend its front end;

- .JOHN W. SHEPEREDSON. 

